Chola King PeruNarKilli (பெருநற்கிள்ளி) is a stranger to poetess Nakkannayaar’s (நக்கண்ணையார்) country. He is participating in a wrestling match in her town. Since he is a stranger, there are some who support him and some who don’t. She is confused and runs to see what is happening. She is glad to see for herself that he has won.

This is a beautiful slice of life poem, written roughly 2000 years ago. Poems 83-85 are by Nakkannayaar writing about her passion towards PeruNarKilli.

Poet Avvayar (the 12th century one), in Moodhurai (literal meaning – Elder’s words) defines who are our real kith and kin. Those who abandon us at the first sign of distress aren’t our kin. They are like birds that abandon a pond once it dries up. Those who stay with us and share our suffering, like flowers and weeds in that pond, are our real kin.

There are three types of water lilies mentioned in the verse. கொட்டி, ஆம்பல், நெய்தல் – I could not identify their English names. So used generic ‘water lilies’.

She has eloped with her lover. Her mother sends people to search for her. They come back and say she has left town. This is her mother’s lament. “This is my doll like daughter’s favorite doll. This is my parrot like daughter’s favorite parrot. This is my flower like daughter’s favorite flower. She has left her favorite play things, pets and flowers and gone away with him. Every time I look at them they remind me of her and make me grieve more.”

The Tamil version says பூ கணோளே – flower like eyes. I have used ‘Lily eyed’ since eyes are equated to lily flowers (நெய்தல்/ஆம்பல்) in Tamil literature often.

As always, if you can read Tamil, read it out loud. Especially the cadence of the last two lines. I can’t do justice to it.

This is a famous verse from Saivite saint Thirumoolar’s Thirumandhiram. Thirumoolar lived around 5th Century AD (though there’s lot of debate about the chronology). He penned over 3000 verses, collected together as Thirumandhiram. This forms the 10th Thirumurai of the Saivite canon.

“Physical body is a temple. Heart is the shrine in which Lord resides. Mouth is the gateway through which (by chanting his name) we can reach the generous Lord. To those who are clear of mind and don’t have any doubts, their Soul is Shivam (the supreme being). Our fickle five senses are lights that clear away the darkness in the temple”.

I understand this verse as “Look for the God within you. God resides in your soul. Don’t look for him outside, but chant his name. Once you lose your doubts, you will become one with Him”. I might be completely wrong too, as I am not a student of Saivite Theology.

Two important things to note in this verse.
1. He makes a difference between கோயில் & ஆலயம், which I have translated as ‘shrine’ and ‘temple’. Shrine is the inner sanctum where the God resides. Temple is the building built around it. In Tamil கோயில் – கோ + இல் (Lord’s residence). ஆலயம் – ஆன்மா+லயம் (Soul + union – where soul unites with God).

2.Another important phrase in this verse is கள்ளப் புலன் ஐந்தும் – Fickle five senses. He doesn’t simply say five senses. Those senses are needed to drive away the darkness in your body (temple). But those are fickle / deceptive and may mislead you. So you have to keep them in control to light the way forward.

In his town cranes hunt for fish in paddy fields;Let him embrace voluptuous sandal painted breasts, and not leftovers like this old woman’s saggy breasts;Oh bard with a fine harp! – he isn’t welcome here.

He has been at the courtesan’s house and now wants to go back home. So he sends his bard as an advance scout to cool his wife down. She isn’t ready. She retorts to the bard “He is from the town where Cranes hunt for fish in inundated paddy fields. Like that he keeps searching for fresh fish. Let him go and embrace those voluptous sandal paste painted breasts of the courtesan. Let him not come for this old woman’s saggy breasts like reaching out for leftovers. Ask him not to come here.”

Kainnilai is one of the 18 anthologies* in post Sangam era. It originally had 60 poems, 12 each for the five landscapes of Tamil poetry. Written by Pullangadanaar in post Sangam era (between 2nd and 8th Century AD), only 45 verses are extant now. It was first published from Palm leaf manuscripts in 1931 by Anantha Rama Iyer. The commentary in Tamilvu.org site is by Sangu Pulavar, based on the source material from 1931 edition.

– There is some debate about whether Kainnilai or Innilai (another collection of poems) is the 18th anthology.

A solid stone you choose and break it into parts two;the stone at entrance, you tread on till it’s worn smooth;the stone at the sanctum, with flowers and water you shower ;Tell me, which one of these is fit for the Supreme power.

Sivavakkiyar, one of the prominent Siddhars (iconoclastic rebels), is known for his fiery denunciation of idol worship. He is said to have lived around 10th Century AD.

In this poem he asks which of these stones is God? There is no difference between these stones as they are from the same rock.One part of it is laid at the entrance and another worshiped as deity. So God is not in these stones, but in your heart. This iconoclasm is the leit motif of his poems.

Her forehead’s like a bow, eyes are like spears,teeth are like pearl and coral are her lips – ,if I say so, words may match; meaning doesn’t; Is there anything to compare her with?To say Paddy is like grass, doesn’t convey it right.

In Ramayana, after Lakshaman cuts her nose off, Surpanaka rushes to Lanka and provokes her brother Ravana to avenge her. Ravana asks who did this to her and what did you do to provoke them? She replies “I wanted the beautiful Sita with them to be your consort”. And proceeds to describe Sita’s beauty.

“I can say Sita’s forehead is curved beautifully like a bow, her eyes are sharp like spears and her teeth are even and white like pearls. Coral is her lips. But all these similes do not convey the full beauty of Sita. There’s nothing in the world to compare her with. It is like saying Paddy is like grass. Though technically right, it does not convey the riches of Paddy”

Kamban’s poems are meant to be read out loud. The cadence is a joy in itself. If you can read Tamil, read this out loud. I wasn’t able to match Kamban’s brevity, hence had to make it five lines instead of the original four lines.

Inna Narpathu (40 poems about grief/misery) is a collection of 40 poems written by poet Kapilar (different from Kapilar of Sangam era) around 4th Century AD. Each poem lists out four thoughts on what causes grief. These are advisory in nature.

Second line of this poem can also be read as “To cross this ocean of life without support is a misery”.

The hill tribes remember the bounty provided by the hills and praise them. Farmers remember the riches provided by fertile fields and praise them. Similarly Wise men always remember the kindness shown to them and praise their benefactors. Lowly men only remember the scorn heaped on them and will try to take vengeance.